ALL WP UNITS FEATURE:

Considering the longevity of Western Pacific’s F7 freight units, they changed very little during their careers. However, the changes and modifications that were made, were remarkably consistent unit to unit. That may have something to do with the fact that the WP had only one big diesel shop in Stockton California. The same guys doing the same thing, equals consistency.

The details that make these engines unique: We all are familiar with the steam engine headlight mounted to the rear roof of the b-units, but there is more. All of these units have the WP modified large fuel tanks and partial side skirts. The B-units have a couple of extra roof grabs down by the back-up light.

The A-units have a full compliment of grabs on the engineer’s side of the nose. The 914a and 915d had m/u connectors to the left of the headlight. The 913a, a future member of the Fab Four, has the SP style plow pilot that she still carries today.

Some people may say that these engines are painted in the “Pumpkin 2” scheme. Whatever you would like to call it, we WP guys know that it seems that there were never enough all-orange Fs around to make up a complete lash up. To help with this we will offer one of our A/B sets with and all-orange A-unit (913a) and an orange and silver B (924c).

SOUND EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:

Individual sound boards installed in both A and B units (sound units only)

Engine, horn, and bell sounds work in DC

Some functions are limited in DC

All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode

Slow speed control

Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights

Lighting effects such as beacons, Gyralight where prototypically accurate

Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes

CV chart included in the box

EMD F-units were a line of diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario, Canada. They were sold to railroads throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Structurally, the locomotive was a carbody unit, with the body as the main load-bearing structure, designed like a bridge truss and covered with cosmetic panels. The so-called bulldog nose was a distinguishing feature of the locomotive’s appearance, and made a lasting impression in the mind of the traveling public.

The F-units were the most successful “first generation” road (main line) diesel locomotives in North America, and were largely responsible for superseding steam locomotives in road freight service. Before this, diesel units were mostly only built as switcher locomotives, and only used in rail yards.

F-units were sometimes known as “covered wagons”, due to the similarity in appearance of the roof of an F-unit to the canvas roof of a Conestoga wagon, an animal-drawn wagon used in the westward expansion of the United States during the late 18th and 19th centuries. When a train’s locomotive consist included only F-units, the train would then be called a wagon train. These two usages are still popular with the railfan community.